Masters of Teaching Internship graduate shares the rewards of learning on the job

From Sydney, Corey made the move to Melbourne upon completing a double degree in science and engineering. After taking a hiatus to reevaluate what he wanted from his future career, he eventually took a role as a teacher’s aide before applying for and completing the Master of Teaching (Secondary) Internship at the Faculty of Education. 

Cory chose the internship program, not only because of Melbourne's reputation, but because it allowed him to work almost immediately in his chosen field while earning an income.

“Their [the University of Melbourne's] education faculty is widely considered to be world-class, and they provided a teaching program that allowed me to study, earn a small income and work almost immediately in my chosen field,” says Cory.

He also chose the Master of Teaching (Secondary) Internship degree because he is passionate about making a difference in the lives of young people.

“I chose to study in this program and ultimately become a teacher as I wanted to engage in a profession whose very essence is about bettering people. I wanted to get to the end of a week knowing that my efforts had been directed towards supporting and growing young people, both academically and in a more general sense,” says Cory.

Cory’s study experience

Cory wants those who are considering the Master of Teaching (Secondary) Internship to realise that it can be demanding and is not for the faint of heart.

“Learning on the job and through university education is both a joy and a curse. You get such an amazing insight into the teaching profession from a number of angles, however, the mental and time pressures are very high,” says Cory.

The most rewarding aspect of his program was “receiving and engaging with the most up-to-date teacher education,” says Cory.

In addition to the program content, he found his classmates to be supportive and inspiring.

“Completing this course with a group of hard-working, intelligent and amazing people was also very rewarding and valuable,” he says.

A rewarding career

Cory considers teaching to be an honourable and rewarding profession and is striving to be the best teacher that he can be.

“I am just trying to be the best teacher I can be. I am genuinely proud to be a teacher. I consider it a noble profession - to educate, steer and support young people and to walk with them as they grow.”

He also has some sage advice for those thinking of entering the teaching profession.

“So, my advice is to study teaching for lofty goals and reasons; don’t do it because it sounds good or interesting, or because you aren’t sure what to do with your future. Teaching matters, good teaching matters, so let your reason for pursuing a career in education be worthy of this.”

See Cory’s profile on Faces of Education